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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — the amount
  6. ground — the earth
  7. content — happy
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. suit — clothes
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. suit — in cards
  17. roll — a list
  18. club — a group
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. suit — to fit
  24. club — for golf

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