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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: board · straw · suit · chest · bass · rush · foot · cue

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chest — a box
  8. rush — hurry
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cue — a hint
  13. board — to get on
  14. cue — for pool
  15. board — a committee
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bass — low music
  18. foot — a measure
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bass — the fish
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. chest — of your body

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