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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. club — a group
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. sharp — clever
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rock — music
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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