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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 116 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: club · nail · rush · march · bulb · lie · snap · ground

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — a position
  3. lie — to recline
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — a group
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. march — music
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rush — a thrill

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