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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mug — a face
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mug — to rob
  12. game — wild animals
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spring — of water
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. game — a match
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — the season
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. spring — a coil

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