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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ground — crushed
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. root — of a plant
  14. net — after costs
  15. ground — a position
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. wake — a trail
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. net — in sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. root — the cause
  24. net — for catching

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