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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. board — to get on
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — a break
  9. cue — a hint
  10. craft — a skill
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a committee
  14. net — after costs
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — for catching
  18. craft — boats
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. net — in sport
  22. fall — the season
  23. board — a flat piece
  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