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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · nail · wake · saw · mug · swing · hide · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cue — a signal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — a hint
  6. swing — in golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. swing — to play on
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mug — a cup
  13. suit — clothes
  14. swing — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. nail — for a hammer

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