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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cue — for pool
  4. content — the amount
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cue — a signal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stem — to come from
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. content — happy
  18. ball — a dance
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. cue — a hint
  23. snap — to click
  24. straw — dry grass

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