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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: nail · mark · field · mate · saw · wound · last · fine

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. last — to go on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mark — a grade
  11. field — farmland
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mark — a trace
  14. field — a subject
  15. last — final
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. last — finally
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mate — a partner

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