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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — crushed
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cue — a hint
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. ground — a position
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. swing — in golf
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ground — the earth
  20. tube — a container
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. shower — rain
  23. cue — a signal
  24. hide — animal skin

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