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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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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: race · squash · cue · coach · suit · wake · saw · bay

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — in cards
  5. race — a contest
  6. cue — a signal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. squash — the sport
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. race — humankind
  19. suit — to fit
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wake — a trail
  24. saw — the tool

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