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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — of water
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kid — child
  7. spring — the season
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. spring — a coil
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. staff — employees
  24. mine — an explosive

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