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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: wave · ball · sharp · bass · wound · coach · cue · rest

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wound — an injury
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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