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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. last — to go on
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. saw — the 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