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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bank — for money
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. root — of a word
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. court — of a king
  9. squash — to crush
  10. content — the amount
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. root — the cause
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bank — of a river
  18. court — for sport
  19. root — of a plant
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. court — of law
  24. content — happy

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