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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · arm · nail · mark · mug · staff · kid · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. staff — a stick
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — to protest
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kid — to tease
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. game — a match
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. nail — for a hammer

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