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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 112 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bore — to drill
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. key — the most important part
  15. branch — a division
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. safe — out of danger

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