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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. saw — the tool
  5. court — of a king
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — in music
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. court — for sport
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lie — to recline
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. court — of law
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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