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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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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 · band · snap · bass · suit · staff · march · cue

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. suit — clothes
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. suit — in cards
  5. band — a music group
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — for pool
  8. march — music
  9. staff — employees
  10. march — the month
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. march — the month
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cue — a hint
  18. band — a ring
  19. bass — low music
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. suit — to fit

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