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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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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: saw · cabinet · stick · tear · cue · foot · wind · club

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — a group
  13. tear — from crying
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cue — a signal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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