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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cue — for pool
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pop — music
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cue — a hint
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. file — a tool
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pop — soda
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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