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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: staff · cabinet · kick · sharp · pitcher · cue · rest · rash

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — hasty
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rest — what's left
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rash — a series
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. staff — employees
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kick — in football
  15. rest — a break
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. staff — employees

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