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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fine — all right
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mate — to breed
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. hand — help
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wind — moving air

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