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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: rush · straw · lean · mine · wake · cue · rock · capital

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mine — for digging
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cue — a hint
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cue — a signal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rush — hurry
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rock — music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. capital — a big letter

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