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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. cue — a hint
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wound — an injury
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. band — a ring
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. tear — to rip
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wound — an injury
  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