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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a hole
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bore — to tire
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. shower — rain
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — in a race
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rest — a break
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com