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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. swing — in golf
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. last — to go on
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — to bend
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spell — letters
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. swing — music
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lean — thin
  24. spell — magic

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