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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. key — in music
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. key — for a lock
  19. stand — to bear
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cold — not warm
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mug — a face

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