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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pop — to visit
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. last — final
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pop — soda
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. last — to go on
  19. pop — music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. staff — a stick
  22. last — finally
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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