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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cue — for pool
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pitch — completely
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — a signal

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