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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — a face
  4. cue — for pool
  5. track — a path
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bound — certain
  11. cue — a signal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bound — tied together
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bound — obliged
  18. track — a song
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mug — to rob
  23. snap — to click
  24. mug — a cup

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