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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. current — of water
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. last — to go on
  8. tube — a container
  9. last — finally
  10. current — electric
  11. stock — shares
  12. current — happening now
  13. stock — goods
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. last — final
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. band — a music group

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