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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. race — humankind
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mug — a cup
  11. last — final
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bore — to drill
  16. last — finally
  17. race — a contest
  18. mug — to rob
  19. degree — an amount
  20. foot — a measure
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — to go on
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mug — a face

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