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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ground — the earth
  3. object — to protest
  4. ground — a position
  5. object — a thing
  6. ground — crushed
  7. firm — steady
  8. spring — the season
  9. tube — the underground
  10. spring — a coil
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. object — an aim
  15. firm — decided
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — a container
  18. spring — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. firm — a company
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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