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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: nail · spell · safe · hand · roll · toast · land · cap

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. toast — bread
  5. land — to come down
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. land — a country
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. spell — letters
  11. cap — a lid
  12. spell — magic
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — in cards
  15. roll — a list
  16. land — ground
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. roll — a cake
  20. hand — help
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — a short time

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