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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mine — for digging
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cap — of ice
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cue — for pool

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