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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wake — a trail
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cue — a hint
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fork — in a road
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pound — a weight
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fork — a garden tool

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