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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. staff — a stick
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cue — for pool
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lean — to bend
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cue — a hint
  24. straw — dry grass

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