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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — after costs
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. chest — a box
  6. rash — hasty
  7. net — in sport
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rash — a series
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chest — of your body
  17. net — for catching
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. nail — on a finger

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