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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — of water
  4. march — the month
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. march — the month
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bound — certain
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mark — a grade
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. swing — to play on
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. march — music
  16. spring — the season
  17. swing — music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bound — obliged

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