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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rock — a stone
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. spell — a short time
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. track — a song
  15. kick — in football
  16. track — to keep track
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rock — music
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. track — a path
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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