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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. shower — rain
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — a series
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wake — a trail
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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