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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mate — a friend
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — for pool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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