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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cue — a signal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. drill — army training
  7. mark — a trace
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. cue — for pool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rest — a break
  20. court — of a king
  21. ball — a great time
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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