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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: key · season · straw · drill · board · mug · cue · clip

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. clip — for paper
  4. season — of the year
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. clip — a video
  9. key — in music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. cue — for pool
  16. board — a committee
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — the most important part
  19. board — to get on
  20. clip — to cut
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cue — a hint
  24. season — in sport

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