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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 116 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. spell — letters
  3. kick — in football
  4. present — the time now
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. deal — to handle
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. present — a gift
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — for digging
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spell — magic
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. present — there
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. ruler — for measuring

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