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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tube — the underground
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rest — a break
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rash — a series
  9. kid — child
  10. tube — a container
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lie — to recline
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kid — to tease
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lie — an untruth

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