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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. current — electric
  7. cue — a signal
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cue — for pool
  15. current — happening now
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pass — a permit
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. current — of water
  24. cue — a hint

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