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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. tube — the underground
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. content — happy
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. content — the amount
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. squash — to crush
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — magic
  19. tube — a container
  20. firm — steady
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spell — letters
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. squash — the vegetable

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