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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. bass — low music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wound — an injury
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lie — to recline
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wound — an injury

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