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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 116 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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cue — for pool
  10. present — a gift
  11. cue — a signal
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. present — there
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mug — to rob
  17. kid — child
  18. rash — a series
  19. mug — a face
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. firm — decided
  24. present — the time now

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