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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. court — for sport
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. court — of law
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. court — of a king
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rush — to hurry

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