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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rock — music
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. foot — a measure
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — to eat

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