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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: fan · arm · nail · dip · season · field · bear · bore

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bore — to tire
  4. season — in sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. season — of the year
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. field — for sport
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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