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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. tube — a container
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pop — to visit
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pop — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — a friend
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. march — the month
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bank — for money
  21. tube — the underground
  22. march — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. deal — a big deal

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