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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 · saw · wind · pop · bear · lean · jam · bat

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lean — thin
  10. saw — the tool
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bear — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pop — soda
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bat — the animal

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