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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. file — a document
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bat — the animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. file — a line of people
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. spell — letters
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. file — a tool
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ground — a position
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. spell — magic

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