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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. drill — army training
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. suit — clothes
  10. drill — a practice
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rash — a series
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. sharp — clever
  20. suit — in cards
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — hasty
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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