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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
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: cue · staff · court · fall · suit · saw · lash · mouse

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — in cards
  4. staff — employees
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fall — the season
  11. suit — to fit
  12. court — of law
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — the tool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. saw — the tool
  21. court — of a king
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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