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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cell — in biology
  3. ball — a dance
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lean — to bend
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — a container
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lean — thin
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. roll — a list
  24. tube — the underground

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