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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bore — to tire
  11. game — wild animals
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. scale — in music
  14. game — a match
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. last — final
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. squash — the sport
  24. last — to go on

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