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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · fine · mate · squash · nail · hand · cell · rule

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mate — a partner
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rule — government
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ground — a position
  16. cell — in biology
  17. ground — the earth
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fine — all right
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. hand — help
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. hand — in cards
  24. rule — a law

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