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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. clip — a video
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. clip — to cut
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to bend
  23. charge — a price
  24. temple — a place of worship

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