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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. charge — in control
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. charge — a price
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hand — in cards
  10. last — final
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. last — finally
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — to go on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. hand — help

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