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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — of water
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. mate — a friend
  11. saw — the tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mate — to breed
  17. band — a music group
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mate — a partner
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spring — the season
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. object — to protest
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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