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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. clip — a video
  4. bore — to drill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. charge — in control
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bore — to tire
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mate — to breed
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. kick — in football
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. hand — help
  22. mate — a partner
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hand — in cards

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