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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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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: hide · drill · snap · wave · nail · saw · wind · present

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. present — there
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. drill — the tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. present — a gift
  14. drill — army training
  15. present — the time now
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. saw — the tool
  20. snap — to click
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. drill — a practice
  23. saw — the tool
  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