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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. staff — employees
  3. sharp — clever
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spell — magic
  6. court — of law
  7. rush — hurry
  8. court — for sport
  9. spell — letters
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. club — for dancing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. court — of a king
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. staff — a stick
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. club — a group
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. club — for golf
  23. staff — employees
  24. spell — a short time

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