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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 · mate · object · cue · scale · land · fall · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. scale — in music
  3. mate — a partner
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. fall — to drop
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mate — a friend
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cue — a hint
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cue — for pool
  15. land — to come down
  16. fall — the season
  17. cue — a signal
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. object — to protest
  21. fall — to drop
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mate — to breed
  24. scale — size or range

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