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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. current — happening now
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. club — for dancing
  7. current — of water
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. club — a group
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mug — a face
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. face — to confront
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bat — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. current — electric
  20. club — for golf
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bat — in an idiom

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