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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · mouse · stand · sharp · chest · saw · game · wave

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cue — a hint
  3. game — wild animals
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cue — a signal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — a box
  24. game — a match

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