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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a face
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — to rob
  11. squash — the sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cue — a signal
  15. present — the time now
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — a gift
  18. mug — a cup
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — there
  22. rest — a break
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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