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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. race — humankind
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. race — a contest
  14. cue — a hint
  15. net — for catching
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. net — in sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. race — the arms race
  21. spell — letters
  22. bank — of a river
  23. spell — magic
  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