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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: firm · wound · straw · dip · cue · saw · hand · bore

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cue — a signal
  7. hand — help
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. firm — decided
  11. cue — for pool
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. firm — a company
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bore — to drill
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. hand — in cards
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — to sink
  23. saw — the tool
  24. firm — steady

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