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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bore — to tire
  4. chest — a box
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chest — of your body
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bore — to drill
  17. deal — to handle
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. charge — a price
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. charge — in control

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