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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 · last · stick · safe · bat · mouse · fall · object

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. object — to protest
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fall — the season
  9. last — final
  10. bat — the animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fall — to drop
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. object — an aim
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. object — a thing
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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