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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. band — a ring
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mug — a face
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. band — a music group
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — a list
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. foot — part of the body

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