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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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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: sharp · fall · swing · cue · nail · cell · toast · fork

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. swing — to play on
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. swing — music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — the season
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. toast — bread
  23. fall — to drop
  24. swing — in golf

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