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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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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bear — the animal
  4. file — a document
  5. swing — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — help
  8. swing — in golf
  9. file — a tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bat — the animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cue — for pool
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. cue — a hint

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