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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. saw — the tool
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. firm — decided
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. firm — steady
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. firm — a company
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. season — of the year
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. season — in sport

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