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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: rush · fine · bay · spring · tear · club · staff · cue

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. staff — employees
  3. club — a group
  4. cue — a signal
  5. club — for golf
  6. staff — employees
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fine — all right
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. club — for dancing
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spring — the season
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rush — a thrill

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