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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cue — for pool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. track — a song
  13. cue — a hint
  14. track — a path
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — in music
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. scale — size or range
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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