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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. branch — a division
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wound — an injury
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ground — a position
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mug — to rob
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. ground — crushed
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mug — a cup
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mug — a face
  24. tube — the underground

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