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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 120 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: fall · hand · mark · season · nail · saw · mine · board

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — in cards
  3. board — a committee
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fall — the season
  12. board — to get on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fall — to drop
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. season — of the year
  18. mine — for digging
  19. season — in sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hand — help
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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