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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: wake · nail · ball · hide · saw · rock · stick · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. last — finally
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. last — to go on
  17. rock — music
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ball — a dance

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