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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · cue · rock · wave · mouse · safe · tube · sharp

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rock — music
  16. court — for sport
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. tube — the underground
  19. court — of a king
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. sharp — clever
  24. tube — a container

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