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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. drill — army training
  4. net — for catching
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. can — a tin
  7. drill — a practice
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. snap — to click
  12. net — in sport
  13. tear — from crying
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. can — to be able to
  17. drill — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — after costs

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