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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 124 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. object — to protest
  5. cue — a signal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. hand — help
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. capital — money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cue — for pool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. object — an aim
  18. cue — a hint
  19. scale — in music
  20. capital — a city
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. object — a thing
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. capital — a big letter

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