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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · arm · nail · rock · last · fan · cell · mug

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. last — finally
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cell — a phone
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — to go on
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cell — in biology
  23. last — final
  24. fan — a supporter

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