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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. staff — employees
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bore — to drill
  9. land — to come down
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mug — a face
  13. bore — to tire
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — ground
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. mug — a cup
  24. nail — for a hammer

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