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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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. rush — to hurry
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — for catching
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — a break
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. net — in sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. net — after costs
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bat — 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