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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: hide · key · coach · rush · chip · cue · saw · chest

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cue — a signal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. key — in music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cue — a hint
  24. key — the most important part

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