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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. key — in music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. snap — to click
  7. deal — to handle
  8. net — for catching
  9. cue — a hint
  10. net — after costs
  11. bulb — for light
  12. key — the most important part
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. net — in sport
  21. cue — for pool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. straw — dry grass

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