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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kid — to tease
  6. charge — in control
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kid — child
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. charge — a price
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. charge — electricity
  18. staff — employees
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. staff — a stick
  21. branch — a division
  22. capital — money
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. capital — a city

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