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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cue — for pool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. tube — a container
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. staff — employees
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rule — a law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cue — a signal
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — low music
  23. straw — dry grass
  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