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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — a permit
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cue — a hint
  11. row — a line
  12. cue — a signal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wake — a trail

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