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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mine — for digging
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. root — of a word
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tube — the underground
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. root — the cause
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tube — a container
  17. object — to protest
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rest — a break
  23. scale — in music
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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