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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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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: squash · band · shower · wave · firm · cue · bat · mug

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cue — for pool
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cue — a hint
  7. firm — a company
  8. bat — the animal
  9. band — a music group
  10. shower — to wash
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. band — a ring
  14. mug — a face
  15. firm — steady
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. firm — decided
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cue — a signal

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