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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: fan · lie · key · cue · bay · pitcher · band · straw

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. band — a ring
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. band — a music group
  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