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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — a position
  3. mine — for digging
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. prune — to trim
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ground — the earth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. kick — in football
  21. ground — crushed
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. can — to be able to

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