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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: key · suit · chest · wave · nail · cue · perch · season

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cue — a signal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. chest — of your body
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. suit — to fit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. season — of the year
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chest — a box
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cue — a hint
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. season — in sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cue — for pool
  22. key — in music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. nail — for a hammer

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