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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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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 · wave · hide · pound · fall · lie · bank · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bank — for money
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bank — for money

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