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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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cap — a hat
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cap — of ice
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rush — hurry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. band — a ring
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bound — certain
  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