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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. net — after costs
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. deal — to handle
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rest — a break
  13. row — to paddle
  14. net — in sport
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rest — what's left
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. net — for catching
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mark — a trace
  21. row — a line
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. arm — a part of something

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