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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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. rock — to move gently
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. season — of the year
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rock — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chest — a box
  16. wind — moving air
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rock — a stone
  19. season — in sport
  20. tube — a container
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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