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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · bark · mug · cue · wave · track · sharp · straw

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. sharp — clever
  3. track — to keep track
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. track — a path
  7. mug — a face
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cue — a signal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mug — a cup
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. track — a song
  24. sharp — with an edge

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