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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. spring — the season
  7. saw — the tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — music
  11. fine — all right
  12. march — the month
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. fine — high quality
  22. key — in music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. key — the most important part

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