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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: board · straw · key · bark · cue · mouse · bay · kick

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. cue — a hint
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. kick — in football
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. key — in music
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cue — a signal
  23. straw — a straw man
  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