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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mate — a partner
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mate — to breed
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. snap — to click
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cue — for pool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. straw — a straw man

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