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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. fine — high quality
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. charge — a price
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fine — all right
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. net — for catching
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. charge — in control
  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