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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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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cue — for pool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — a stone
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mug — a cup
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ball — a great time
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mug — to rob
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mug — a face
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rock — music

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