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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chest — of your body
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. root — of a plant
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. root — of a word
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — the cause
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. nail — on a finger

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