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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 120 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: straw · staff · cold · wax · mate · last · suit · cue

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. last — to go on
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. last — final
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wax — to grow
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cold — an illness
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cold — not warm
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mate — a friend

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