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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bass — low music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bound — obliged
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bass — the fish

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