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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 · fan · cue · perch · staff · saw · pit · craft

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. staff — employees
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cue — a hint
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pit — a hole
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. craft — boats
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cue — for pool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. staff — a stick
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cue — a signal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. staff — employees
  24. saw — the tool

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