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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lean — thin
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. race — humankind
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spring — the season
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spring — of water
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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