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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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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: bat · squash · hand · wave · saw · game · cue · mug

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mug — to rob
  5. game — a match
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hand — help
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cue — for pool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bat — the animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cue — a hint

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