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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stick · rock · wake · squash · can · swing · shower

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. can — a tin
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — music
  19. squash — to crush
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. swing — in golf
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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