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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: mate · swing · nail · wound · cue · wax · snap · rest

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mate — a partner
  5. swing — music
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mate — a friend
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rest — a break
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to click
  24. mate — to breed

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