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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. shower — rain
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. kick — in football
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pit — in a race

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