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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fine — high quality
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bat — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fine — a penalty

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