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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: mate · bore · fall · rule · nail · key · leaves · jam

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fall — to drop
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — for a lock
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mate — a partner
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mate — a friend
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bore — to drill
  17. key — in music
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mate — to breed
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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