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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: chair · wind · stick · suit · cue · wave · track · kid

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. suit — in cards
  15. kid — child
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. track — a song
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cue — a hint

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