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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mug — to rob
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cue — a signal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. snap — to click
  11. mug — a face
  12. club — for golf
  13. cell — a phone
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fall — the season
  16. fork — in a road
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. club — a group
  20. fall — to drop
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cue — a hint
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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