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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. club — a group
  3. can — a tin
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. wake — a trail
  6. shower — rain
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wind — moving air
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ball — a great time
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a dance
  22. club — for golf
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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