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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. charge — electricity
  4. rest — a break
  5. swing — to play on
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fall — the season
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cue — a hint
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. charge — in control
  20. swing — music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. swing — in golf
  23. charge — a price
  24. wake — a trail

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