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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. staff — employees
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. squash — to crush
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. staff — employees
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bear — the animal
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. kick — in football

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