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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. club — a group
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mate — a partner
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wake — a trail
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mate — to breed

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