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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cue — a signal
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. snap — to click
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. last — final
  9. fork — in a road
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. foot — a measure
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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