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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. firm — decided
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. clip — a video
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. firm — a company
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bass — the fish
  11. firm — steady
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bass — low music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. clip — to cut
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — for a computer

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