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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. game — wild animals
  5. shower — to wash
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. staff — employees
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. game — a match
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. shower — rain
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. branch — a division

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