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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bear · present · fan · can · cold · dip · cue

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cue — a hint
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. present — there
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bear — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. present — the time now
  21. can — a tin
  22. present — a gift
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. cue — a signal

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