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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. saw — the tool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. track — a song
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mug — a cup
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. season — in sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rock — a stone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. season — of the year
  21. rock — music
  22. mug — to rob
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. track — a path

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