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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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hand — help
  9. game — wild animals
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. game — a match
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. charge — a price
  16. drill — a practice
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. charge — in control
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. wake — a trail
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hand — in cards

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