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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: staff · foot · toast · stick · cue · suit · bore · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. staff — employees
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. staff — a stick
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. toast — bread
  10. foot — a measure
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cue — for pool
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. cue — a hint

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