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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pass — a permit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spell — magic
  9. ground — crushed
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ground — the earth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. lean — thin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. spell — letters
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. spell — a short time
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ground — a position

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