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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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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: lean · shower · firm · wave · cue · nail · bat · branch

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bat — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. branch — a division
  9. shower — rain
  10. cue — a hint
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cue — for pool
  19. firm — decided
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. shower — to wash
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bat — in an idiom

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