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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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468
Word bank
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. tear — to rip
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mate — to breed
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cue — a signal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mate — a friend
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — a hint
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. snap — to click

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