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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: wave · cue · game · saw · mate · stand · kid · band

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mate — to breed
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. kid — child
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cue — for pool
  18. band — a music group
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mate — a friend

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