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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: mouse · fork · craft · tear · bore · jam · nail · mine

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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