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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. suit — clothes
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cue — a hint
  11. tube — the underground
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. suit — to fit
  24. dip — to sink

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