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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rock — music
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rock — a stone
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. firm — decided
  12. spring — the season
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. firm — a company
  16. capital — a city
  17. firm — steady
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. capital — money
  21. spring — of water
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. foot — the bottom

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