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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 120 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hand — in cards
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. net — for catching
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — help
  11. chest — of your body
  12. charge — a price
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. chest — a box
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. mouse — the animal

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