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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a lid
  3. present — the time now
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tear — to rip
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. roll — a list
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — a hat
  11. present — a gift
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. cap — of ice
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fine — all right
  20. present — there
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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