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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. race — a contest
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. net — after costs
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. net — for catching
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. drill — army training
  17. race — humankind
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cue — a hint
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. race — the arms race
  24. net — in sport

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