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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. can — to be able to
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — a signal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  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