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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. band — a ring
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. spell — a short time
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. spell — magic
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. band — a music group
  17. deal — to handle
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. scale — in music
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. spell — letters

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