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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kick — in football
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. plane — a tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bore — to drill
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stock — shares
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stock — goods
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bore — to tire
  24. leaves — to go away

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