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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bore — to drill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. track — a path
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. deal — to handle
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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