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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. saw — the tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. game — wild animals
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. track — to keep track
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fall — to drop
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — to drop
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. track — a song
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — a path
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fall — the season
  24. drill — the tool

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