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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 116 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: nail · race · mine · fine · bulb · ground · cap · lean

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lean — thin
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ground — a position
  5. race — humankind
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cap — a hat
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lean — to bend
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ground — crushed
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. race — a contest
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — all right
  24. mine — belonging to me

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