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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — size or range
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fine — all right
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. scale — in music
  16. bound — certain
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spell — magic
  21. bound — obliged
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. spell — letters

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