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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 124 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. can — to be able to
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. kid — to tease
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wax — to grow
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — a stone
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — an aim
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kid — child
  24. can — a tin

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