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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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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: suit · ruler · chest · mate · straw · foot · cue · bark

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chest — a box
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mate — to breed
  9. chest — of your body
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. suit — clothes
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. foot — a measure
  14. suit — to fit
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cue — for pool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bark — to shout

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