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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 124 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. spring — a coil
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. drill — army training
  7. spring — of water
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. drill — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. object — an aim
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. can — a tin
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. spring — the season
  21. object — to protest
  22. drill — a practice
  23. can — to be able to
  24. deal — to handle

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