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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. saw — the tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. foot — a measure
  12. can — a tin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. net — in sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — a trace
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mark — a grade
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. nail — for a hammer

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