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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. ball — a great time
  5. band — a ring
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. band — a music group
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. craft — boats
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wound — an injury
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. hand — help

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