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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 · jam · cue · arm · bark · staff · chest · mug

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. staff — employees
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cue — for pool
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. chest — a box
  21. bark — to shout
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mug — a face
  24. cue — a hint

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