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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. land — ground
  5. season — of the year
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. staff — employees
  9. land — a country
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. season — in sport
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. land — to come down
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spring — the season
  22. staff — employees
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bore — to drill

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