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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cue — a signal
  7. last — to go on
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. hand — help
  13. last — finally
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cue — a hint
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. last — final
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rock — music
  24. cue — for pool

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