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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. bore — to tire
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. band — a music group
  9. perch — the fish
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. charge — in control
  14. bore — to drill
  15. race — the arms race
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. band — a ring
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mine — for digging
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. charge — a price
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — for a hammer

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