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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mug — to rob
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hand — help
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mouse — the animal

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