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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cell — a phone
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fall — the season
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. charge — in control
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fine — all right
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fall — to drop
  24. foot — the bottom

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