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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stock — goods
  3. spring — a coil
  4. ball — a great time
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. snap — to click
  13. bore — to drill
  14. spring — of water
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. tear — to rip
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stock — shares
  19. board — a committee
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spring — the season
  24. bore — to tire

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