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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ball — a dance
  4. tear — from crying
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hand — help
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. row — to paddle
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — in cards
  14. tear — from crying
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. row — a line
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tear — to rip
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. sharp — clever

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