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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mug — a face
  7. pop — music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — the season
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. land — to come down
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. land — a country
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — soda
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pop — to visit
  24. saw — the tool

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