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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 116 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: mine · rush · dip · band · bay · wound · cue · racket

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. band — a music group
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. band — a ring
  15. wound — an injury
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. dip — to dunk

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