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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 116 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chair — a leader
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. drill — army training
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. cue — a hint
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. row — a line
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wave — of the sea

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