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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 116 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. staff — a stick
  4. hand — help
  5. firm — decided
  6. band — a ring
  7. staff — employees
  8. hand — in cards
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. firm — a company
  12. band — a music group
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. firm — steady
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. staff — employees
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cue — a signal
  22. file — a document
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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