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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: mark · nail · bat · pitcher · squash · hide · foot · shower

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. shower — to wash
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. shower — rain
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the sport
  20. foot — a measure
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mark — a trace

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