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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: mark · fine · dip · nail · squash · saw · bound · chair

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mark — a trace
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bound — obliged
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fine — all right
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — certain
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. nail — on a finger

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