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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wind — moving air
  4. object — a thing
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. drill — the tool
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. net — for catching
  9. squash — the sport
  10. drill — army training
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. object — to protest
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. net — after costs
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stem — to come from
  22. object — an aim
  23. drill — a practice
  24. nail — for a hammer

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