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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. perch — the fish
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. pop — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pop — soda
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fall — to drop
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bear — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — the season
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bear — to put up with

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