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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spring — of water
  3. can — a tin
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. can — a tin
  6. net — for catching
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rash — hasty
  11. can — to be able to
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spring — the season
  24. rest — what's left

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