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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 120 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: saw · bay · ruler · mug · chest · cue · bear · pop

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chest — a box
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mug — a face
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chest — of your body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pop — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ruler — for measuring

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