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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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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fall — to drop
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wound — an injury
  24. racket — for tennis

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