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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tube — the underground
  5. suit — to fit
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cold — not warm
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. rock — music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. saw — the tool
  22. suit — in cards
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cold — an illness

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