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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitch — completely
  13. last — finally
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cell — in biology
  17. last — final
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cell — a phone
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. nail — on a finger

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