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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. staff — employees
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chip — to eat
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. perch — the fish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wind — moving air
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. perch — for a bird

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