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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cue — a hint
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. net — after costs
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — boats
  11. cell — a phone
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — a skill
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. cue — a signal
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cell — in biology

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