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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — of water
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. land — a country
  6. land — ground
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rest — what's left
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stock — goods
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rest — a break
  18. land — to come down
  19. stock — shares
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. spring — the season
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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