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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cue — for pool
  4. spell — magic
  5. drill — a practice
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. clip — for paper
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — army training
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. spell — letters
  16. cue — a hint
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. clip — a video
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. sharp — clever

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