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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. game — wild animals
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fall — the season
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fall — to drop
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. fan — a supporter

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