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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · mine · mug · firm · drill · fork · nail · mouse

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. firm — a company
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mug — a face
  9. mine — for digging
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — steady
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. firm — decided
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fork — in a road
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mug — to rob

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