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

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fork — in a road
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mark — a trace
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chest — a box
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. chest — of your body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. face — to confront

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