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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. object — an aim
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. present — the time now
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. object — a thing
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. squash — to crush
  21. object — to protest
  22. rash — a series
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stem — to come from

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