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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cue — for pool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wake — a trail
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. ball — a great time
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ball — a dance

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