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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 116 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — a container
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. net — in sport
  9. march — the month
  10. tube — the underground
  11. net — after costs
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. bound — certain
  15. net — for catching
  16. march — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rest — a break
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bound — obliged
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. march — the month
  24. rest — what's left

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