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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: calf · rash · file · cue · stick · wake · wave · court

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wake — a trail
  4. court — of law
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. court — of a king
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a document
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. rash — a series
  22. court — for sport
  23. file — a line of people
  24. calf — of the leg

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