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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 116 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mug — a face
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cue — a hint
  12. key — in music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bark — to shout
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. can — a tin
  24. cue — a signal

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