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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
468
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: cue · face · hand · straw · game · safe · chip · mouse

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. face — to point toward
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. hand — help
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. face — to confront
  12. game — a match
  13. chip — for betting
  14. game — wild animals
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — to eat
  24. hand — in cards

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