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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. board — to get on
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mine — for digging
  13. board — a committee
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. shower — rain
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. deal — to handle
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. hide — animal skin

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