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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ground — the earth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ground — crushed
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — the cause
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. shower — rain
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bore — to tire
  14. shower — to wash
  15. root — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. root — of a word
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bore — to drill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ground — a position
  24. bore — gave birth

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