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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 120 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: cue · cell · bore · spring · object · perch · wake · straw

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cue — a hint
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — of water
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cell — in biology
  10. spring — the season
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cell — a phone
  15. object — to protest
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bore — to drill
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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