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

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ground — the earth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — help
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. file — a line of people
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ground — a position
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. file — a document
  18. rush — to hurry

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