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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: key · sharp · date · wake · cue · hide · straw · toast

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. toast — bread
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. key — for a lock
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. key — the most important part
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wake — a trail
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cue — a signal
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. sharp — clever
  14. key — in music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — on the calendar

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