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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hand — help
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hand — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. drill — a practice
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cell — a phone
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. drill — army training
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. key — in music
  22. fine — all right
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. key — the most important part

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