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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. suit — in cards
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — magic
  11. ball — a great time
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. suit — to fit
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — clothes
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — letters
  22. spring — of water
  23. safe — out of danger
  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