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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. land — to come down
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. land — ground
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cap — a lid
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cap — a hat
  10. land — a country
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ground — crushed
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. season — of the year
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — in sport
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. prune — to trim
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. saw — the tool

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