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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. object — an aim
  4. bore — to tire
  5. object — a thing
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. net — after costs
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. toast — bread
  19. row — a line
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. object — to protest
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. net — for catching

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