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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 120 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: cue · bore · saw · nail · bound · mine · craft · club

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bound — certain
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cue — a hint
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bound — obliged
  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