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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cue — for pool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cue — a hint
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bark — to shout
  22. ball — a great time
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lie — to recline

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