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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: bark · mark · rest · squash · cue · snap · coach · nail

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mark — a trace
  7. squash — the sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cue — a hint
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rest — a break
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cue — for pool
  19. snap — to click
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cue — a signal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — 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