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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. mug — to rob
  5. firm — a company
  6. mug — a face
  7. race — the arms race
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. present — the time now
  11. spring — a coil
  12. race — a contest
  13. spring — of water
  14. saw — the tool
  15. race — humankind
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. spring — the season
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. present — there
  20. mug — a cup
  21. firm — decided
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. firm — steady

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