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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. band — a music group
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a ring
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hand — in cards
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — help
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mate — to breed
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — certain
  19. ground — a position
  20. bound — tied together
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. ground — crushed
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mate — a friend

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