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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. shower — to wash
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fine — all right
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mine — for digging
  20. shower — rain
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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