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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lie — to recline
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. shower — rain
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — tied together
  13. season — of the year
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bound — obliged
  18. shower — to wash
  19. season — in sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. safe — out of danger

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