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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. spell — magic
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hand — in cards
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. hand — help
  7. spell — letters
  8. court — of law
  9. sharp — clever
  10. face — to point toward
  11. spell — a short time
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. court — for sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — of a king
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. face — part of the head
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. face — to confront
  24. sharp — exactly

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