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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chair — a leader
  4. hand — in cards
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — clever
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. hand — help
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. can — a tin

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