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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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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. snap — to click
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pitch — a sports field

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