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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bore — to tire
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. date — the fruit
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bank — for money
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kid — child
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bank — for money
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. date — on the calendar

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