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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: nail · cue · key · mark · last · fine · drill · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. key — in music
  10. last — final
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. drill — army training
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cue — for pool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. last — finally
  21. cue — a hint
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. drill — a practice
  24. last — to go on

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