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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. cue — a hint
  5. plane — a tool
  6. march — music
  7. last — finally
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. shower — rain
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cue — a signal
  13. march — the month
  14. shower — to wash
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. march — the month
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. last — to go on
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. hand — help
  24. last — final

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