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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cue — a signal
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spell — a short time
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. last — finally
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. last — final
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cue — for pool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. spell — magic
  16. can — a tin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. last — to go on
  20. pound — a weight
  21. spell — letters
  22. sharp — clever
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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