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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: mouse · fall · chip · scale · last · leaves · straw · cue

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cue — for pool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. last — to go on
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. last — final
  14. cue — a hint
  15. scale — in music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fall — the season
  24. last — finally

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