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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · nail · bound · tube · board · straw · file · cue

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cue — a signal
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. file — a document
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cue — a hint
  13. file — a tool
  14. dip — to sink
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — certain
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bound — tied together
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. board — to get on

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