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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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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. key — for a lock
  5. present — the time now
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. key — in music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. key — the most important part
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spring — a coil
  14. present — there
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. present — a gift
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season

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