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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. file — a tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. firm — a company
  9. drill — the tool
  10. firm — decided
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. file — a line of people
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. file — a document
  21. drill — army training
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. firm — steady
  24. rash — a series

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