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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rest — what's left
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. rest — a break
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. hand — in cards
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ground — crushed
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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