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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mug — to rob
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — for pool
  7. track — a path
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mug — a face
  10. snap — to click
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cue — a signal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mug — a cup
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. track — a song
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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