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

Word bank: cue · object · key · saw · firm · wind · roll · straw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. firm — a company
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wind — moving air
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. roll — a list
  9. cue — for pool
  10. roll — a cake
  11. firm — steady
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. key — in music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. firm — decided
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. saw — the tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wind — moving air

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