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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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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: dip · cue · object · spell · foot · game · mine · wake

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cue — a hint
  3. game — a match
  4. object — a thing
  5. cue — a signal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cue — for pool
  8. object — an aim
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. foot — a measure
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. spell — magic
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. dip — to sink
  21. object — to protest
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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