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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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kid — child
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bank — for money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — rain
  8. bore — to drill
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mate — a friend
  11. kid — to tease
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — for money
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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