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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — all right
  4. craft — a skill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. staff — a stick
  8. craft — boats
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — to come from
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. staff — employees
  24. kick — in football

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