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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: cue · mine · net · straw · fall · toast · object · wake

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. object — an aim
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mine — for digging
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. net — for catching
  12. object — a thing
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wake — a trail
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. net — after costs
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fall — the season
  21. object — to protest
  22. toast — bread
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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