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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. band — a ring
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. season — of the year
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. spring — the season
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. season — in sport
  13. spring — of water
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bulb — for light
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stand — to bear
  20. shower — rain
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. band — a music group
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. spring — a coil

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