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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bound — tied together
  4. content — happy
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — clever
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bound — certain
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ball — a great time
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a dance
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bound — obliged
  20. content — the amount
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rule — government
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rule — a law

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