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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. last — to go on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spring — a coil
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. spell — magic
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. last — finally
  15. spell — a short time
  16. capital — money
  17. last — final
  18. spell — letters
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. capital — a city
  21. spring — the season
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spring — of water
  24. bear — the animal

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