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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. firm — decided
  7. cap — a hat
  8. track — a path
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. file — a tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — a practice
  15. file — a document
  16. drill — army training
  17. file — a line of people
  18. firm — a company
  19. drill — the tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. track — a song
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — a lid
  24. firm — steady

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