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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. shower — to wash
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. object — a thing
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — a position
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pop — music
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pop — soda
  21. shower — rain
  22. object — an aim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — to protest

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