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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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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bound — obliged
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. club — a group
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. snap — to click
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. club — for golf
  19. mate — to breed
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mate — a friend
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. coach — a trainer

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