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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. band — a ring
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mine — for digging
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. band — a music group
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cue — a hint
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rest — a break
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cue — a signal

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