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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: nail · rest · spell · club · pass · cap · tube · wake

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. club — for golf
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rest — a break
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. club — a group
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tube — a container
  15. spell — letters
  16. cap — a hat
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pass — to succeed

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