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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 120 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: snap · mug · nail · kid · leaves · present · racket · shower

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. present — there
  9. mug — a face
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to click
  14. shower — to wash
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mug — a cup
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. kid — child

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