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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cap — a hat
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. track — a song
  8. suit — to fit
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cue — for pool
  11. track — a path
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bound — tied together
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cap — of ice
  18. staff — employees
  19. bound — certain
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ball — a great time
  22. track — to keep track
  23. suit — in cards
  24. staff — employees

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