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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lean — thin
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — in music
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mark — a trace
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lean — to bend
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bore — to drill
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pound — a weight
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mark — a grade

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