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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spring — the season
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. last — final
  11. staff — employees
  12. last — to go on
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. staff — a stick
  18. hand — in cards
  19. toast — bread
  20. last — finally
  21. sharp — clever
  22. staff — employees
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. spring — of water

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