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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: straw · perch · bore · game · can · snap · cue · chest

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chest — of your body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. snap — to click
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. can — a tin
  9. chest — a box
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. game — wild animals
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a match
  14. perch — the fish
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bore — to drill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cue — a signal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cue — for pool

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