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

Word bank: nail · drill · squash · chest · stick · cap · cue · deal

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. drill — the tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. squash — to crush
  18. drill — army training
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cap — of ice
  22. chest — a box
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cue — for pool

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