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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. squash — to crush
  3. band — a music group
  4. cue — a hint
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — a law
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rule — government
  15. cue — a signal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cue — for pool

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