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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cell — a phone
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fork — in a road

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