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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 116 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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. current — of water
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tear — to rip
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bore — to drill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. current — happening now
  21. bound — certain
  22. tear — from crying
  23. current — electric
  24. sharp — exactly

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