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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: bay · cell · hand · suit · rush · band · mate · cue

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. cell — in biology
  17. band — a music group
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. suit — clothes
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cell — a phone
  22. hand — help
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rush — a thrill

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