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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. last — finally
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. spell — magic
  7. spring — of water
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spring — the season
  16. spell — letters
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wound — an injury
  20. content — the amount
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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