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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pop — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — a stone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — a grade
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mark — a trace

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