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

Word bank: staff · snap · leaves · rush · stand · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. snap — to click
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stand — to bear
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. staff — employees

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