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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rash — a series
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. content — happy
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. content — the amount
  20. rash — hasty
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. content — videos and posts

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