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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fine — high quality
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. can — a tin
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fine — all right
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. kid — child
  15. wind — moving air
  16. can — to be able to
  17. charge — in control
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. can — a tin
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wind — moving air
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. kid — to tease

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