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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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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: fine · last · race · foot · nail · bore · shower · ball

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fine — high quality
  3. race — a contest
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. last — final
  10. foot — a measure
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fine — all right
  13. race — the arms race
  14. shower — to wash
  15. ball — a dance
  16. shower — rain
  17. race — humankind
  18. last — finally
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. last — to go on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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