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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. file — a tool
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — a price
  8. kid — to tease
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stand — to bear
  14. spell — letters
  15. hand — in cards
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — magic
  19. kid — child
  20. file — a line of people
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. charge — in control
  24. nail — for a hammer

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