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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — rain
  3. drill — army training
  4. board — a committee
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. drill — the tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. drill — a practice
  11. board — to get on
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hand — help
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. club — for golf
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — a group
  24. tube — a container

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