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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. snap — to click
  3. cue — for pool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. spell — letters
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. charge — in control
  12. stock — goods
  13. rest — a break
  14. charge — a price
  15. stock — shares
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spell — magic
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cue — a hint

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