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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rush — hurry
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. spring — a coil
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bass — low music
  13. spring — of water
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — the season
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bank — for money
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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