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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cue — for pool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wake — a trail
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. present — a gift
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rock — a stone
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. present — the time now
  20. rash — a series
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rock — music
  24. present — there

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