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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. charge — a price
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. court — of a king
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rest — a break
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bear — the animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rock — music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. court — for sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — of law
  22. rock — a stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. nail — on a finger

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