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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: toast · straw · cue · club · mouse · wound · cabinet · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — bread
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. club — for golf
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. club — a group
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. club — for dancing
  24. straw — a straw man

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