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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 · spring · toast · sharp · cue · drill · saw · stock

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cue — a signal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. spring — the season
  7. drill — army training
  8. saw — the tool
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stock — shares
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stock — goods
  15. saw — the tool
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. toast — bread
  20. spring — of water
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cue — a hint
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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