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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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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. band — a music group
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. hand — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. key — in music
  13. kick — in football
  14. hand — help
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wax — to grow
  17. band — a ring
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cue — for pool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. suit — in cards
  24. band — a rubber band

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