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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — a country
  3. toast — bread
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. spell — a short time
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spell — letters
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. spell — magic
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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