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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.

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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: wind · club · wave · cue · rush · snap · cell · rash

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wind — moving air
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. club — a group
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rash — a series
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. club — for golf
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cue — a signal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cue — for pool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. snap — to click
  24. cell — a phone

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