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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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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 · wave · plane · cabinet · tube · ground · bass · shower

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cue — a signal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cue — a hint
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cue — for pool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. tube — a container
  14. ground — a position
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. shower — rain
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. tube — the underground

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