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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. court — for sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — the season
  8. lie — to recline
  9. spring — of water
  10. court — of law
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spring — a coil
  16. can — a tin
  17. rash — a series
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. can — to be able to
  22. hand — in cards
  23. court — of a king
  24. hand — help

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