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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: pound · lean · cell · fork · wave · cue · firm · season

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cue — for pool
  4. firm — a company
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. firm — decided
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pound — a weight
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. firm — steady

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