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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. drill — army training
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. content — happy
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cap — a hat
  10. drill — the tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — the amount
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cue — for pool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. staff — employees
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cap — of ice
  21. snap — to click
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. staff — a stick
  24. content — videos and posts

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