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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 116 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. staff — a stick
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. court — of a king
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spring — of water
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spring — the season
  15. court — for sport
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. staff — employees
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. court — of law
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — electric

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