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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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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: jam · hide · nail · toast · cold · fall · spell · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. fall — to drop
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — magic
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. spell — letters
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. saw — the tool
  17. toast — bread
  18. spell — a short time
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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