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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. staff — employees
  3. file — a tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cue — for pool
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. snap — to click
  10. file — a line of people
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. file — a document
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. dip — to sink
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. cue — a hint
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cue — a signal
  24. dip — to dunk

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