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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lean — to bend
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chest — a box
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mine — for digging
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. chest — of your body
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lean — thin
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. track — a song

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