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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: cue · perch · toast · rush · kick · wake · tear · staff

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. staff — employees
  7. cue — a signal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tear — to rip
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rush — hurry
  23. staff — a stick
  24. kick — with a leg

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