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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spring — a coil
  3. rest — a break
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spring — of water
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spring — the season
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rush — hurry

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