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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · bear · nail · bay · object · scale · bore · lean

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lean — thin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. object — a thing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. object — to protest
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — an aim
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. nail — for a hammer

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