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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cue — a hint
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cold — not warm
  11. land — ground
  12. wake — a trail
  13. land — to come down
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — to bear
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. land — a country
  21. cold — an illness
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cue — for pool

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