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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. net — for catching
  7. sharp — clever
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. object — a thing
  13. rush — hurry
  14. object — an aim
  15. net — in sport
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. object — to protest
  24. net — after costs

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