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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. firm — decided
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. date — the fruit
  11. kid — child
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — steady
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. firm — a company
  20. staff — employees
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. kid — to tease
  24. staff — a stick

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