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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: leaves · wave · toast · key · hand · cue · kid · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. cue — a hint
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pit — in a race
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cue — for pool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. kid — child
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. toast — bread
  22. key — in music
  23. wave — with your hand
  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