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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 120 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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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: firm · cue · wake · staff · swing · fork · tear · rest

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — music
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fork — in a road
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rest — a break
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. staff — employees
  21. firm — steady
  22. swing — in golf
  23. tear — to rip
  24. wake — before a funeral

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