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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spring — a coil
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. spring — of water
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. charge — a price
  18. saw — the tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. charge — in control
  23. tear — from crying
  24. spring — the season

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