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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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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: wound · kick · press · wave · land · cue · vault · mouse

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. land — a country
  4. kick — in football
  5. land — to come down
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. land — ground
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cue — a hint
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. press — to push
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cue — for pool

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