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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. snap — to click
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. court — for sport
  8. suit — to fit
  9. court — of a king
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. object — a thing
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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