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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: pop · last · toast · nail · hand · bore · fine · cold

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. toast — bread
  3. last — final
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. last — to go on
  6. fine — all right
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pop — to visit
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — finally
  15. cold — not warm
  16. hand — help
  17. cold — an illness
  18. pop — music
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pop — soda
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. fine — high quality

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