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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fall — the season
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. game — a match
  7. craft — boats
  8. fall — to drop
  9. suit — in cards
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pass — a permit
  12. craft — a skill
  13. suit — clothes
  14. staff — employees
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. suit — to fit
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — on a finger

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