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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.

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: key · cue · squash · date · file · wake · last · foot

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cue — a signal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. key — in music
  5. file — a tool
  6. cue — for pool
  7. foot — a measure
  8. squash — to crush
  9. last — finally
  10. key — the most important part
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wake — a trail
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. file — a document
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. squash — the sport
  23. cue — a hint
  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