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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 116 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: mouse · press · cue · sharp · pop · nail · game · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pop — soda
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pop — music
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. sharp — clever
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. press — newspapers
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. game — a match
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. press — to push
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. press — a publisher

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