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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: fan · cue · snap · stock · mine · tear · present · nail

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mine — for digging
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — a hint
  6. present — a gift
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. present — there
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stock — goods
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tear — to rip
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to click
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. tear — from crying
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stock — shares
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. present — the time now

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