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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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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. chest — of your body
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chest — a box
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. last — final
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — finally
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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