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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. last — finally
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. last — to go on
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fall — to drop
  12. shower — rain
  13. bore — to tire
  14. staff — employees
  15. drill — the tool
  16. staff — a stick
  17. last — final
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — the season
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fall — to drop
  22. drill — army training
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. staff — employees

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