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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cue — a signal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. can — a tin
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rock — a stone
  11. face — to confront
  12. can — to be able to
  13. face — part of the head
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pit — a hole
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cold — not warm
  20. rock — music
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. can — a tin

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