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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. firm — decided
  3. bark — to shout
  4. craft — boats
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bore — to drill
  8. firm — a company
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mine — for digging
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. firm — steady
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ruler — a monarch

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