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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. stock — goods
  7. snap — to click
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rush — hurry
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stock — shares
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lie — to recline
  19. scale — in music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. trunk — of a tree

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