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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
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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: clip · date · key · coach · march · mouse · straw · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — a hint
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cue — for pool
  15. date — the fruit
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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