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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bat — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. suit — to fit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. last — to go on
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. shower — rain
  16. suit — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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