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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — a grade
  3. last — to go on
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. last — final
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mug — a face
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mark — a trace
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mug — to rob
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — finally
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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