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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: bass · last · mark · mug · tear · mate · nail · lie

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — a face
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. bass — low music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lie — to recline
  24. last — to go on

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