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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kick — in football
  3. spell — letters
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — magic
  14. band — a ring
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a music group

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