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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 116 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. track — a song
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. track — a path
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — a match
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — to keep track
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the sport
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cue — a hint
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. game — wild animals
  24. leaves — to go away

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