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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: bay · saw · dip · deal · last · lie · nail · kick

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. dip — to sink
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. last — final
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — to handle
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — in football
  23. saw — the tool
  24. deal — a big deal

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