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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
468
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: last · cue · track · nail · swing · cold · cabinet · object

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. object — a thing
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. track — a song
  6. last — finally
  7. track — a path
  8. swing — in golf
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cold — not warm
  11. track — to keep track
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. last — to go on
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cue — for pool
  16. last — final
  17. object — to protest
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. swing — music
  20. object — an aim
  21. swing — to play on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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