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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. row — to paddle
  3. craft — boats
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — for sport
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. field — a subject
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. field — farmland
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wind — moving air
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bound — certain
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mark — a trace
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mark — a grade
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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