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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. present — there
  4. pop — music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pop — to visit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. race — a contest
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stock — shares
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. race — humankind
  20. present — a gift
  21. fall — the season
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. present — the time now
  24. stock — goods

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