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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ground — a position
  6. present — the time now
  7. rush — hurry
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. present — there
  13. bound — tied together
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. safe — out of danger

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