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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. shower — rain
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. shower — to wash
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. key — for a lock
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. hand — help
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. key — in music
  19. charge — a price
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. charge — electricity
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. trunk — of a car

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