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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — the tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — a face
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. drill — army training
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rest — what's left
  11. net — in sport
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mug — to rob
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. net — for catching
  17. rest — what's left
  18. drill — a practice
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rest — a break
  21. mug — a cup
  22. net — after costs
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. saw — the tool

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