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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cue · bat · wave · lie · spell · band · calf · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. band — a ring
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. band — a music group
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. spell — magic
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spell — letters
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bat — for baseball

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