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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 · net · mouse · leaves · jam · wound · nail · pass

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pass — a permit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — for catching
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cue — a signal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. net — after costs

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