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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — for catching
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — in sport
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. net — after costs
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. object — a thing
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. track — a song
  20. object — to protest
  21. wound — an injury
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fall — the season

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