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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · bulb · leaves · straw · roll · mate · cue · bark

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cue — a hint
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cue — a signal
  17. roll — a list
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mate — a partner
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bark — to shout
  23. roll — a cake
  24. cue — for pool

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