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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. suit — clothes
  3. court — of a king
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cue — a signal
  8. court — of law
  9. cue — a hint
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rest — a break
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. court — for sport
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rest — what's left
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. suit — to fit

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