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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lie — to recline
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. spell — letters
  9. spring — a coil
  10. drill — the tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. spell — a short time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bat — the animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. spell — magic
  20. drill — army training
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. net — in sport
  23. spring — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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