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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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Word bank
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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: arm · bark · coach · wave · cap · cue

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bark — to shout
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cue — a hint
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cue — a signal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cap — a hat

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