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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. drill — a practice
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. drill — army training
  7. chest — a box
  8. bound — tied together
  9. drill — the tool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bound — certain
  17. chest — of your body
  18. toast — bread
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — clever
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bound — obliged
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. nail — on a finger

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