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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mate — a friend
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cell — in biology
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bat — the animal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mouse — the animal

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