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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. chest — a box
  10. sharp — clever
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cue — a signal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rash — a series
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. wake — a trail
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cue — a hint

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