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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. file — a line of people
  5. rock — music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fine — all right
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. hand — help
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. file — a tool
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a document
  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