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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: straw · fine · net · tear · chair · cue · trunk · bulb

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. net — for catching
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. tear — to rip
  11. net — after costs
  12. fine — all right
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fine — high quality
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. net — in sport
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. straw — a straw man
  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