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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — a leader
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fall — the season
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fall — to drop
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rock — music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rock — a stone

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