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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: object · firm · field · mouse · nail · staff · lie · saw

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. field — farmland
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. object — a thing
  6. staff — employees
  7. object — an aim
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. field — for sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. field — a subject
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. firm — a company
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. object — to protest
  23. firm — decided
  24. nail — on a finger

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