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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. suit — clothes
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. suit — in cards
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rule — a law
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wind — moving air
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wind — to turn a key

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