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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. kid — child
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. cue — a signal
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. hand — help
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. roll — a cake
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. kid — to tease
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a list
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pass — a permit

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