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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — electricity
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bank — for money
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. row — a line
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. cue — a signal
  21. toast — bread
  22. charge — in control
  23. cue — a hint
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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