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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bank — for money
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — the fruit
  15. club — for golf
  16. bank — of a river
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bark — to shout
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. club — a group

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