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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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. stand — to bear
  4. rock — music
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. last — to go on
  7. staff — employees
  8. game — a match
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. last — final
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rock — a stone
  14. staff — employees
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. season — in sport
  17. last — finally
  18. season — of the year
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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