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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cue — for pool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. drill — a practice
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bark — to shout
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. staff — employees
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. face — to confront
  19. drill — army training
  20. face — to point toward
  21. staff — a stick
  22. prune — to trim
  23. staff — employees
  24. band — a music group

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