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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. tube — a container
  9. chest — of your body
  10. object — an aim
  11. tube — the underground
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. object — a thing
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. object — to protest
  24. mate — a friend

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