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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wind — moving air
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wind — moving air
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rock — a stone
  14. shower — rain
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. kick — in football
  17. rash — a series
  18. rock — music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rock — to move gently

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