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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a song
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. squash — the sport
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lean — to bend
  24. hand — help

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