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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hand — in cards
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. firm — decided
  6. cap — a hat
  7. net — for catching
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. drill — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — a company
  16. drill — army training
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. drill — a practice
  19. hand — help
  20. net — after costs
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. cap — of ice
  23. firm — steady
  24. nail — on a finger

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