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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rule — government
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lean — to bend
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. craft — boats
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chip — for betting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — rain
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lean — thin
  20. rule — a law
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. shower — to wash
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — to eat

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