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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. 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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rest — a break
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. spring — a coil
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. rest — what's left
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. 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