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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. present — there
  6. band — a music group
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. present — the time now
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. season — in sport
  17. snap — to click
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a ring
  21. fork — in a road
  22. season — of the year
  23. present — a gift
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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