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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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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: rush · band · march · cue · lean · bound · chip · wave

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. march — the month
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. band — a ring
  6. chip — for betting
  7. march — the month
  8. bound — certain
  9. rush — hurry
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. band — a music group
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bound — obliged
  18. march — music
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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