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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: court · spell · wave · ruler · cue · date · clip · hide

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cue — a hint
  3. spell — letters
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. court — of law
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. spell — magic
  14. clip — for paper
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cue — for pool
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. clip — a video
  20. spell — a short time
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hide — to keep secret

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