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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. court — of a king
  5. cap — of ice
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. hand — help
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cue — for pool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cue — a signal
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cue — a hint

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