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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. game — a match
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. game — wild animals
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. prune — to trim
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. staff — a stick
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. staff — employees
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — the tool

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