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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. hide — animal skin
  3. tube — the underground
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. current — electric
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. march — the month
  14. cell — a phone
  15. squash — to crush
  16. current — happening now
  17. cue — a signal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — of water
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — a container
  23. cell — in biology
  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