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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cue — a signal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. shower — rain
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. drill — army training
  13. fall — to drop
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cap — a lid
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fall — the season
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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