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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. craft — boats
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. chest — of your body
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. court — for sport
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mark — a trace
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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