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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. hand — in cards
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. track — a song
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. track — to keep track
  17. press — to push
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. track — a path
  22. sharp — clever
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hand — part of the body

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