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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: land · wave · board · suit · cabinet · pop · cue · wound

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pop — soda
  9. board — a committee
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. board — to get on
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cue — for pool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pop — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. land — to come down
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cue — a signal

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