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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lean — to bend
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cue — a signal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bound — certain
  22. mate — to breed
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pit — a hole

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