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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kick — in football
  5. cue — a hint
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rash — a series
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cue — for pool

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