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

Word bank: fork · wave · rock · cue · mate · rule

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rule — a law
  12. rock — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rule — government
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mate — to breed

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