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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. prune — to trim
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chest — of your body
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chest — a box
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. roll — a list
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chest — of your body
  17. staff — employees
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. staff — employees
  21. cue — a hint
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lie — to recline

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