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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — to drill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. band — a music group
  11. track — a path
  12. present — a gift
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. track — a song
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. present — the time now
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. kid — child
  20. present — there
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. track — to keep track

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