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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: foot · rash · cue · wake · bat · kick · rush · wave

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kick — in football
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rash — a series
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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