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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kid · mug · cue · spring · wound · race · nail · pop

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cue — for pool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pop — music
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spring — a coil
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. race — humankind
  11. pop — to visit
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. spring — the season
  14. cue — a signal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pop — soda
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — a face
  20. spring — of water
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. race — a contest
  24. mug — a cup

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