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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 120 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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. snap — to click
  3. season — of the year
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. season — in sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pop — soda
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — to drill
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pop — music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mark — a trace
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. season — to add flavour

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