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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: wake · toast · nail · leaves · cap · wind · firm · field

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. field — for sport
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wind — moving air
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. firm — a company
  11. toast — bread
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. field — a subject
  14. firm — decided
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wind — moving air
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. firm — steady
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. cap — of ice
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. field — farmland

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