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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: suit · racket · ground · lie · squash · wind · date · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. squash — the sport
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ground — the earth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. date — the fruit
  12. suit — to fit
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — a position
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lie — to recline
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wind — moving air
  22. suit — in cards
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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