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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: can · nail · wound · staff · content · tear · saw · leaves

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tear — to rip
  3. staff — employees
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. tear — from crying
  6. staff — employees
  7. content — the amount
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wound — an injury
  16. content — happy
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. can — to be able to
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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