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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. tube — a container
  3. chest — a box
  4. pop — to visit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. object — a thing
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. object — to protest
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chest — of your body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pop — soda
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pop — music
  23. object — an aim
  24. squash — to crush

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