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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: bass · cue · sharp · kid · plane · prune · stick · wave

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. kid — child
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. kid — to tease
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — the fish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cue — for pool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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