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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: safe · bore · cap · row · nail · last · season · land

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. row — a line
  6. cap — of ice
  7. last — finally
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — a country
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — to go on
  12. cap — a lid
  13. row — to paddle
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — in sport
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — final
  21. bore — to drill
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. safe — out of danger

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