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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. row — a line
  8. pit — in a race
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lean — thin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pit — a hole
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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