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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 120 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cue — a hint
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cell — in biology
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cue — a signal
  10. land — to come down
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. squash — to crush
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cell — a phone
  18. land — ground
  19. cue — for pool
  20. land — a country
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. suit — to fit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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