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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lean — thin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. band — a ring
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — moving air
  15. band — a music group
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. drill — a practice
  21. squash — to crush
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. squash — the vegetable

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