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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. tear — from crying
  6. swing — to play on
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. bore — to drill
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. key — for a lock
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tear — to rip
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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