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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.

Make a worksheet

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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bass — the fish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — low music
  11. staff — employees
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — to grow
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wind — moving air
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wind — moving air

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