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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 124 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bulb — for light
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. race — a contest
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. race — the arms race
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. sharp — clever
  14. race — humankind
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitcher — a jug

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