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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: cue · dip · wave · bat · racket · pass · stem · foot

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pass — a permit
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — the animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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