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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 · rash · can · drill · cue · bay · wave · stick

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. can — a tin
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. can — a tin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. drill — army training
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rash — a series
  16. drill — the tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cue — a hint
  20. drill — a practice
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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