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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: tube · net · straw · snap · chip · calf · lie · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lie — to recline
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. snap — to click
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — a container
  17. chip — for betting
  18. net — for catching
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — in sport
  22. cue — a signal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — after costs

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