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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rest — what's left
  5. field — a subject
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. firm — steady
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rest — what's left
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lean — thin
  12. field — farmland
  13. firm — a company
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. field — for sport
  17. drill — army training
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. lean — to bend
  21. firm — decided
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. drill — the tool

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