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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. track — a path
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. track — a song
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. snap — to click
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. track — to keep track
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — to fit
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tube — the underground
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. tube — a container

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