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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — money
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. capital — a city
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. charge — in control
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. charge — electricity
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. charge — a price
  22. shower — rain
  23. stock — shares
  24. ruler — for measuring

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