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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. present — there
  8. rock — music
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. present — a gift
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mate — to breed
  14. drill — army training
  15. stock — goods
  16. mate — a partner
  17. spring — a coil
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mate — a friend
  20. drill — a practice
  21. spring — the season
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. present — the time now
  24. nail — for a hammer

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