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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: bat · snap · nail · pass · mug · cue · mine · rest

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mug — a face
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — to rob
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. snap — to click
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mine — for digging
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pass — a permit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pass — to spend time

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