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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. foot — a measure
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fine — all right
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. object — an aim
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. wax — to grow
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mug — a face

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