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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cue — a signal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mark — a grade
  6. object — to protest
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. roll — a cake
  10. can — a tin
  11. race — a contest
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. roll — a list
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mark — a trace
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. object — a thing
  21. can — to be able to
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. can — a tin

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