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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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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: fall · present · snap · racket · straw · leaves · cue · lie

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. present — there
  2. fall — the season
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. present — a gift
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. present — the time now
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cue — for pool
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. snap — to click
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lie — an untruth
  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