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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chest — a box
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stock — shares
  8. can — to be able to
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chest — of your body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rush — hurry
  19. foot — a measure
  20. stock — goods
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. can — a tin

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