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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — there
  3. file — a tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a document
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — a gift
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. present — the time now
  12. bear — the animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rest — a break
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bear — the animal

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