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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.

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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: lean · trunk · mouse · cue · squash · straw · board · season

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cue — a signal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. board — a committee
  13. lean — thin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. season — of the year
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cue — a hint
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. season — in sport
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. board — to get on

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