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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — a break
  5. firm — a company
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. season — in sport
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. firm — decided
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. firm — steady
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. racket — for tennis

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