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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 116 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: cell · swing · charge · lie · sharp · mate · drill · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. swing — to play on
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. swing — music
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mate — a partner
  9. sharp — clever
  10. charge — in control
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mate — to breed
  14. charge — a price
  15. cell — a phone
  16. charge — electricity
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cell — in biology
  19. swing — in golf
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lie — to recline
  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