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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 116 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: club · mug · pass · spell · nail · object · mark · cold

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — for golf
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. club — for dancing
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mug — a face
  16. object — a thing
  17. spell — letters
  18. object — to protest
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cold — not warm
  22. club — a group
  23. object — an aim
  24. spell — magic

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