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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: ground · cue · kid · snap · staff · wave · mouse · bank

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. mouse — for a computer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bank — of a river
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. kid — child
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bank — for money
  10. snap — to click
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cue — a hint
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bank — for money
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  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