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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. staff — employees
  5. current — happening now
  6. cap — a lid
  7. file — a tool
  8. current — of water
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — a break
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. face — to point toward
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. staff — a stick
  17. file — a line of people
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. current — electric
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. staff — employees
  23. file — a document
  24. arm — part of the body

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