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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. foot — a measure
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. sharp — clever
  5. staff — employees
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. staff — a stick
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. firm — decided
  10. rash — hasty
  11. band — a ring
  12. rash — a series
  13. firm — a company
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. staff — employees
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. band — a music group
  20. firm — steady
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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