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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. row — a line
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — a phone
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mine — for digging
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. row — to paddle
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. cell — in biology
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. saw — the tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. saw — the tool

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