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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 116 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: key · hide · cue · wake · leaves · fork · file · mouse

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. file — a tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. file — a document
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. file — a line of people
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. key — in music
  21. cue — a hint
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hide — to keep secret

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