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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. band — a music group
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. snap — to click
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. band — a ring

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