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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. row — a line
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. root — of a word
  5. cue — for pool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. root — the cause
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mine — for digging
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. cue — a hint
  13. root — of a plant
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cue — a signal
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. file — a line of people
  24. suit — clothes

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