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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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. drill — army training
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fork — in a road
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. squash — the sport
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mug — a face
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. drill — the tool
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. squash — to crush

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