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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cold — not warm
  20. ground — a position
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bowl — a football final

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