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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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. charge — a price
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hand — in cards
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. march — music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. hand — help
  10. chest — a box
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — in control
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bank — for money
  22. chest — of your body
  23. march — the month
  24. charge — electricity

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