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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cue — a signal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — a thing
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cue — for pool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. object — to protest
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. sharp — clever
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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