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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bound — certain
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. drill — the tool
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. swing — in golf
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. swing — to play on
  14. drill — a practice
  15. snap — to click
  16. drill — army training
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. toast — bread
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. swing — music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. toast — the most admired

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