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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. charge — in control
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bound — certain
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hand — help
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rest — what's left
  20. charge — electricity
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rest — what's left
  24. charge — a price

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