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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wind — moving air
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. club — for golf
  12. snap — to click
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — to keep track
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. track — a song
  18. cue — a signal
  19. track — a path
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — a group
  23. wind — moving air
  24. club — for dancing

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