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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spell — magic
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fork — to eat with

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