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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. net — after costs
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. net — in sport
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rock — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. net — for catching
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. drill — a practice
  19. spring — of water
  20. toast — bread
  21. rock — a stone
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. drill — army training
  24. fan — to cool the air

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