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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · chest · straw · cue · snap · cabinet · key · rush

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to click
  3. cue — a signal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. key — in music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chest — of your body
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. court — for sport
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chest — a box
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cue — a hint
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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