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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. track — a song
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. object — a thing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — to protest
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — in sport
  23. object — an aim
  24. mouse — for a computer

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