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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fall — to drop
  4. deal — to handle
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fall — the season
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bank — for money
  15. shower — rain
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bank — for money

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