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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.

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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 · cue · arm · nail · fan · spring · stick · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spring — of water
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spring — the season
  13. cue — a hint
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tear — from crying
  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