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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. last — final
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a grade
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wax — for sculpting

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