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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ground — the earth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hand — help
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mate — to breed
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mate — a friend
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mate — a partner

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