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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. tube — a container
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. staff — employees
  15. cell — a phone
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. row — a line
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pitcher — a jug

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