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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 116 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. firm — a company
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. firm — steady
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — a container
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. firm — decided
  15. row — a line
  16. hand — in cards
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. snap — to click
  20. row — to paddle
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hand — help
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cue — a hint

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