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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — a practice
  4. staff — a stick
  5. drill — army training
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. staff — employees
  8. bound — tied together
  9. season — of the year
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chair — a leader
  12. tear — from crying
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. squash — to crush
  17. tear — from crying
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. season — in sport
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bound — certain

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