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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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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: suit · clip · land · staff · cue · mug · lean · coach

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. land — to come down
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — ground
  6. clip — for paper
  7. cue — for pool
  8. land — a country
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cue — a signal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. cue — a hint
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. clip — a video
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to bend
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. clip — to cut
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a cup

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