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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. spring — of water
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. race — humankind
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pop — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. spring — the season
  14. race — the arms race
  15. mine — for digging
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pop — soda
  18. race — a contest
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rest — a break
  23. pop — to visit
  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