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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mug — to rob
  3. kick — in football
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mug — a face
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a signal
  24. tear — from crying

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