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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wind · track · safe · dip · row · toast · season

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — a song
  6. season — in sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wind — moving air
  10. row — to paddle
  11. track — to keep track
  12. season — of the year
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. toast — bread
  17. row — a line
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. track — a path
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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