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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stem — to come from
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. board — a committee
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cue — for pool
  12. snap — to click
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. squash — to crush
  16. board — to get on
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. straw — dry grass

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