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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: pop · ruler · cue · last · straw · staff · file · cabinet

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pop — music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cue — a hint
  10. last — final
  11. file — a line of people
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. staff — employees
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — soda
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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