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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · fall · toast · bass · net · saw · mark · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. toast — bread
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mark — a trace
  9. spell — letters
  10. net — in sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spell — a short time
  13. net — after costs
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — a grade
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. net — for catching
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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