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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. band — a ring
  3. row — to paddle
  4. suit — clothes
  5. race — a contest
  6. row — a line
  7. net — for catching
  8. wound — an injury
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. band — a music group
  11. prune — to trim
  12. race — the arms race
  13. suit — to fit
  14. net — after costs
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. suit — in cards
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. net — in sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wound — an injury
  23. race — humankind
  24. row — a quarrel

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