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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tube — the underground
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. tear — to rip
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. net — for catching
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. tear — from crying
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. net — in sport
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. net — after costs
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. nail — on a finger

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