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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cue — for pool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. firm — steady
  10. cue — a hint
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. firm — decided
  14. snap — to click
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cue — a signal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. firm — a company

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