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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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. stand — on your feet
  4. perch — the fish
  5. staff — employees
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stand — to bear
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. staff — employees
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fine — high quality

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