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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. kid — child
  7. firm — decided
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hand — in cards
  13. firm — steady
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hand — help
  17. firm — a company
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pit — a hole
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pit — in a race

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