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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. field — for sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. charge — in control
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wax — for sculpting

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