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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rock — music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mark — a grade
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mark — a trace
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rock — a stone

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