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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. game — a match
  3. track — a path
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mate — to breed
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rock — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. game — wild animals
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bore — to drill
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. key — in music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rock — a stone
  23. track — a song
  24. bore — gave birth

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