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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — of water
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bore — to tire
  7. club — a group
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. club — for dancing
  12. chair — a leader
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. club — for golf
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. spring — the season
  24. sharp — with an edge

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