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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.

Make a worksheet

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: charge · firm · cue · bore · fall · bass · saw · straw

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fall — the season
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. firm — steady
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. saw — the tool
  10. firm — a company
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — the tool
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. charge — a price
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fall — to drop
  22. firm — decided
  23. bore — to drill
  24. charge — in control

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