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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wound — an injury
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bass — the fish
  12. board — a committee
  13. mark — a trace
  14. board — to get on
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bore — to drill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bass — low music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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