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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rash — a series
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cell — in biology
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. branch — a division
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — a container
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wake — a trail
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. tube — the underground

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