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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rash — a series
  7. clip — a video
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cue — a hint
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. rash — hasty
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. cue — a signal
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. spring — a coil
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. board — to get on
  24. clip — to cut

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