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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. firm — decided
  10. key — the most important part
  11. clip — to cut
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. foot — a measure
  19. key — in music
  20. firm — steady
  21. clip — a video
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. clip — for paper
  24. firm — a company

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