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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. last — finally
  3. tube — the underground
  4. last — final
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. key — in music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — a break
  14. key — the most important part
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. shower — rain
  18. key — for a lock
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. last — to go on
  22. tube — a container
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — to wash

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