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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.

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: tear · wave · ground · file · rush · coach · cue · firm

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. tear — to rip
  4. file — a tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rush — hurry
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ground — the earth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — a hint
  15. firm — a company
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cue — for pool
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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