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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 · court · squash · lie · bound · mouse · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. bound — certain
  3. court — for sport
  4. kick — in football
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. court — of law
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. court — of a king
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bound — tied together
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lie — an untruth
  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