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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: can · saw · toast · temple · straw · wave · cue · mouse

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. can — to be able to
  9. toast — bread
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cue — for pool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mouse — the animal

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