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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. kick — in football
  6. rest — a break
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. present — the time now
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. present — there
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. present — a gift
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. rest — what's left
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rest — what's left

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