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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 124 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bore — to tire
  3. firm — steady
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. firm — a company
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. kick — in football
  17. firm — decided
  18. chest — a box
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mine — an explosive

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