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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. saw — the tool
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cue — a hint
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — for digging
  23. can — to be able to
  24. prune — to trim

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