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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.

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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. land — a country
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — after costs
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — in sport
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cue — for pool
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. net — for catching
  24. stand — for spectators

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