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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 116 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: stick · cue · wave · club · press · spell · wake · firm

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spell — magic
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cue — a hint
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spell — letters
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cue — for pool
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. spell — a short time
  20. press — to push
  21. club — for golf
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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