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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. swing — music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. shower — to wash
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. drill — a practice
  10. swing — in golf
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. swing — to play on
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fine — high quality
  16. shower — rain
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. drill — army training
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. fine — all right

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