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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: fine · rush · toast · mug · cue · capital · stem · trunk

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fine — high quality
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mug — a face
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mug — to rob
  9. capital — money
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. capital — a city
  14. cue — for pool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rush — hurry
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. toast — bread
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fine — all right
  24. capital — a big letter

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