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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rash — a series
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mug — a face
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rash — hasty
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cue — a signal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. key — in music
  23. row — a line
  24. mug — to rob

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