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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: can · object · ball · hand · saw · spell · chest · nail

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. hand — in cards
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. object — to protest
  11. can — a tin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — help
  17. chest — a box
  18. spell — a short time
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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