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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. object — an aim
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — help
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. staff — employees
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. object — a thing
  20. staff — a stick
  21. hand — in cards
  22. object — to protest
  23. sharp — exactly
  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