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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: mug · race · hide · jam · cue · bear · can · straw

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cue — a hint
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mug — a face
  6. cue — for pool
  7. race — a contest
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. can — a tin
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bear — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. race — humankind
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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