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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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468
Word bank
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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cue — for pool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — the tool
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. charge — electricity
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — in control
  24. fork — a garden tool

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