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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 120 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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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 · saw · tube · wound · cap · squash · wake · nail

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mark — a trace
  4. tube — the underground
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tube — a container
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mark — a grade
  15. squash — to crush
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cap — a lid
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wake — a trail

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