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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — to drill
  3. net — in sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — to bend
  7. net — for catching
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bore — to tire
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lean — thin
  24. coach — a trainer

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