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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ground — the earth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ground — a position
  12. bulb — for light
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rule — a law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — hurry
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rule — government
  22. rest — a break
  23. chest — a box
  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