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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — finally
  4. bore — to drill
  5. race — a contest
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. last — to go on
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. last — final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — of water
  15. bore — to tire
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. spring — the season
  20. race — humankind
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. date — the fruit

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