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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. content — the amount
  4. drill — a practice
  5. toast — bread
  6. band — a music group
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. band — a ring
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. content — happy
  16. drill — the tool
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. drill — army training

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