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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cue — a signal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cue — for pool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — a company
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rest — a break
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fine — high quality
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. firm — steady
  18. fine — all right
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. firm — decided
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. prune — to trim

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