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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
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: straw · last · calf · fan · key · suit · row · cue

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. cue — a signal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. row — a line
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. suit — to fit
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. last — finally
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. row — to paddle
  18. key — in music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cue — for pool
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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