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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. fall — the season
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fall — to drop
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pass — a permit
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. capital — money

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