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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. drill — the tool
  4. roll — a list
  5. spring — a coil
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. land — to come down
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. land — a country
  11. spring — the season
  12. staff — employees
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — in cards
  16. spring — of water
  17. roll — a cake
  18. staff — employees
  19. land — ground
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. drill — a practice
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. drill — army training

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