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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. suit — to fit
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bass — low music
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. suit — in cards
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cue — a signal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — thin
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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