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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. ball — a great time
  6. file — a tool
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. key — in music
  9. last — finally
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kid — to tease
  12. net — for catching
  13. last — to go on
  14. kid — child
  15. cue — a hint
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. ball — a dance
  21. key — for a lock
  22. last — final
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ball — a round shape

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