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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — a company
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — decided
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rule — government
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — of a river
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rule — a law
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stock — shares
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stock — goods
  24. chest — a box

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