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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — to sink
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. march — music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. march — the month
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. squash — to crush
  24. nail — for a hammer

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