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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. last — final
  6. squash — to crush
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cue — a signal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. last — finally
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cell — in biology
  13. squash — the sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cell — a phone
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cue — a hint
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. suit — clothes
  21. last — to go on
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — of a tree

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