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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wound — an injury
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wave — with your hand

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