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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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. shower — rain
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rest — a break
  7. shower — to wash
  8. race — humankind
  9. tube — the underground
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rest — what's left
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rest — what's left
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — a contest
  19. content — happy
  20. tube — a container
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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