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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: shower · mug · stick · game · track · hide · nail · fine

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — all right
  3. game — wild animals
  4. track — a path
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mug — to rob
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fine — high quality
  13. shower — rain
  14. game — a match
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mug — a face
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. track — a song
  24. shower — to wash

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