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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rest — a break
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — letters
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tube — a container
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stock — shares
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. spell — magic

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