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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bore — to tire
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tube — a container
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mouse — the animal

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