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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. degree — an amount
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. degree — temperature
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. season — of the year
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. hand — in cards
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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