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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mine — for digging
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. swing — music
  11. root — of a word
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wind — moving air
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wind — moving air

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