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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.

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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fine — all right
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mark — a trace
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mark — a grade
  13. spring — of water
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fine — high quality
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. squash — the sport
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. coach — a trainer

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