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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · cue · pop · mark · cell · wake · saw · nail

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. pop — music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cell — a phone
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pop — soda
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pop — to visit
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cell — in biology
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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