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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: cue · stick · race · hand · bark · sharp · key · rash

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. hand — help
  7. race — humankind
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rash — a series
  15. key — in music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — a contest
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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