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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bound — obliged
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bound — certain
  17. row — a line
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. key — in music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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