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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — in cards
  4. can — a tin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — for golf
  10. bear — the animal
  11. club — for dancing
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. hand — help
  15. rash — hasty
  16. club — a group
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — a series
  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