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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: suit · cell · cap · wave · mine · cue · object · race

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. race — humankind
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cue — a hint
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cue — for pool
  19. object — an aim
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. race — a contest
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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