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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: cap · kid · cue · pass · key · drill · rush · straw

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. rush — hurry
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cap — a hat
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. drill — army training
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cue — a signal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. kid — child
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. kid — to tease
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pass — a permit
  24. drill — a practice

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