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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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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: rest · arm · club · charge · bore · wound · content · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rest — a break
  4. wound — an injury
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — for golf
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rest — what's left
  10. charge — a price
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. charge — in control
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — a group
  15. charge — electricity
  16. content — happy
  17. bore — to drill
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wound — an injury
  20. content — the amount
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — for dancing

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