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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cue — a hint
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bulb — for light
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. file — a document
  16. cue — for pool
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. drill — a practice
  23. file — a tool
  24. cue — a signal

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