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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. current — electric
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. current — happening now
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. snap — to click
  13. rest — what's left
  14. current — of water
  15. season — in sport
  16. rest — a break
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wake — a trail
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. season — of the year

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