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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
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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: march · suit · straw · hide · hand · bear · roll · cue

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. cue — for pool
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. hand — help
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. march — music
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. march — the month
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cue — a hint
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. roll — a list

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