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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. bore — to tire
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wound — an injury
  18. degree — an amount
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fine — all right
  24. bulb — of a plant

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