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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cue — for pool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rest — a break
  14. bark — to shout
  15. snap — to click
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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