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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. net — for catching
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. dip — to sink
  7. net — in sport
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. row — to paddle
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stand — to bear
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. row — a line
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. net — after costs
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. nail — on a finger

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