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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rush — hurry
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ground — the earth
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hand — help
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — the season
  20. ground — a position
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — of water

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