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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stem — to come from
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rest — a break
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rock — music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. ground — a position
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bear — the animal

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