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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. race — a contest
  3. charge — a price
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bore — to drill
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. race — humankind
  8. content — the amount
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — in control
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. charge — electricity
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bore — to tire
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — happy
  24. trunk — of a tree

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