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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. degree — from a university
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — for golf
  8. wound — an injury
  9. degree — an amount
  10. club — a group
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wound — an injury
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. degree — temperature
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. row — a line

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