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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — a price
  11. prune — to trim
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rest — a break
  23. wound — an injury
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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