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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — to tire
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. can — to be able to
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. can — a tin
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. track — to keep track
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. snap — to click

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