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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · jam · object · present · foot · wind · nail · bass

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — a gift
  3. object — a thing
  4. tear — from crying
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. object — an aim
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. object — to protest
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bass — low music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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