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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. march — the month
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — hurry
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. land — a country
  11. drill — army training
  12. staff — a stick
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. march — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. drill — the tool
  19. march — the month
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. drill — a practice
  22. staff — employees
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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