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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — in control
  4. net — after costs
  5. charge — electricity
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. roll — a list
  10. charge — a price
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — a grade
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. net — in sport
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. sharp — clever
  24. nail — for a hammer

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