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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 116 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. kid — to tease
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — in sport
  10. current — happening now
  11. wind — moving air
  12. season — of the year
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. object — an aim
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — a thing
  19. current — electric
  20. object — to protest
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. current — of water
  24. deal — to handle

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