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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: roll · kick · saw · straw · kid · current · mug · cue

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. saw — the tool
  3. roll — a list
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. current — electric
  10. mug — a face
  11. current — happening now
  12. kid — child
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. kick — in football
  19. mug — a cup
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. roll — a cake
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kid — to tease
  24. current — of water

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