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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 116 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: key · rock · face · cue · staff · straw · present · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — part of the head
  7. present — a gift
  8. face — to confront
  9. present — there
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. key — in music
  13. staff — employees
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. staff — a stick
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rock — music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. staff — employees
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rock — a stone

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