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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. capital — money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. current — electric
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. cell — in biology
  11. capital — a city
  12. club — a group
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. sharp — clever
  15. current — of water
  16. club — for dancing
  17. current — happening now
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cell — a phone
  21. club — for golf
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. sharp — with an edge

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