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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lean — thin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rock — music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. swing — music
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. swing — in golf

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