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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. band — a music group
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. march — music
  15. land — a country
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rock — music
  18. land — to come down
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — ground
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spell — letters
  24. band — a ring

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