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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: cue · cell · wave · chip · bank · mine · foot · last

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. last — finally
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — for digging
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cue — a signal
  11. last — to go on
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. last — final
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cue — for pool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bank — for money

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