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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spring — the season
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spring — of water
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — employees
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cue — for pool
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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