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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: fall · stand · staff · present · key · cold · can · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cue — for pool
  5. present — there
  6. key — in music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cue — a signal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — to bear
  12. present — the time now
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cold — an illness
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — the most important part
  18. cold — not warm
  19. present — a gift
  20. can — a tin
  21. staff — employees
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fall — the season
  24. staff — employees

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