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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 116 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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitch — completely
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. file — a document
  13. bank — for money
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cap — a lid
  16. file — a line of people
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bank — for money
  22. file — a tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bank — of a river

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