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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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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: cue · last · calf · key · bay · rush · squash · current

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cue — a signal
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cue — for pool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. current — electric
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. current — happening now
  16. key — for a lock
  17. last — finally
  18. key — in music
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. squash — the sport
  21. current — of water
  22. cue — a hint
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — the most important part

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