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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: object · cue · last · suit · hand · kid · rush · can

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. suit — to fit
  7. object — an aim
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — a signal
  11. object — a thing
  12. last — finally
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. suit — in cards
  17. object — to protest
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rush — hurry
  21. last — final
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — to go on
  24. suit — clothes

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