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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. race — humankind
  7. tube — a container
  8. suit — to fit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tube — the underground
  11. track — to keep track
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. track — a song
  15. cue — for pool
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. track — a path
  18. snap — to click
  19. suit — clothes
  20. race — a contest
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. race — the arms race
  23. suit — in cards
  24. straw — a straw man

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