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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.

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: net · mine · squash · cue · bark · wave · rock · fall

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cue — a signal
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rock — music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. net — after costs
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. net — in sport
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. net — for catching
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. squash — to crush
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fall — to drop

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