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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cell — in biology
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. net — for catching
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cell — a phone
  23. kick — in football
  24. net — after costs

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