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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tear — from crying
  4. track — to keep track
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. track — a path
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tear — from crying
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. tear — to rip
  21. track — a song
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  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