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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. tube — a container
  12. firm — decided
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bat — the animal
  16. land — ground
  17. cap — a lid
  18. land — a country
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cap — a hat
  23. land — to come down
  24. nail — for a hammer

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