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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. swing — to play on
  4. drill — army training
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stock — shares
  16. drill — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — goods
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. tear — to rip
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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