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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 120 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. current — of water
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. can — a tin
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. can — a tin
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. vault — a safe
  20. current — happening now
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — to be able to

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