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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — a path
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. foot — a measure
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. band — a ring
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. deal — to handle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. band — a music group
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. track — a song
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. track — to keep track
  23. deal — an agreement
  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