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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bass — the fish
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cue — a hint
  6. shower — to wash
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. firm — steady
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. face — to confront
  11. shower — rain
  12. bass — low music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — part of the head
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. firm — a company
  18. fork — in a road
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cue — a signal
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. firm — decided

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