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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 120 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: board · cue · mouse · wave · deal · land · nail · rush

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rush — hurry
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. board — a committee
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cue — a signal
  19. land — to come down
  20. board — to get on
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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