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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hand — help
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. object — an aim
  8. ground — a position
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. charge — in control
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — a price
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. ground — crushed
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — electricity
  23. net — in sport
  24. ground — the earth

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