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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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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: press · wave · bay · wake · dip · cue · board · court

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cue — for pool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. court — of a king
  13. press — to push
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. board — to get on
  17. cue — a signal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cue — a hint
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. wave — of the sea

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