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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · perch · cabinet · season · rush · lash · cue · pitcher

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cue — a hint
  9. season — in sport
  10. rush — hurry
  11. season — of the year
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. staff — employees
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. staff — employees
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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