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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bass — low music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. spell — magic
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mug — a face
  11. cue — for pool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cue — a hint
  19. spell — letters
  20. saw — the tool
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — on a finger

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