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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. object — an aim
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. object — to protest
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cue — for pool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. mug — a face
  19. object — a thing
  20. cue — a signal
  21. hand — help
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chair — a leader
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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