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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: jam · land · lean · bay · drill · key · wave · nail

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. land — a country
  9. drill — army training
  10. lean — thin
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. key — the most important part
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. lean — to bend
  20. land — ground
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. land — to come down

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