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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. present — the time now
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. roll — a cake
  8. present — there
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bore — to tire
  13. roll — a list
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. branch — a division
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rush — hurry
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bore — to drill
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stem — 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