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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pass — a permit
  8. snap — to click
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bass — low music
  19. charge — in control
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. cue — for pool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cue — a hint

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